Satan’s BattleWith God
A woman once asked Pastor David Jeremiah this question. “If God is really sovereign why does He let the enemy keep attacking us? Why doesn’t He just destroy Satan and end all this suffering?” Many of us have asked this following a disaster or a tremendous personal loss. This question does not necessarily come from unbelief but from a desire to understand the heart of God. After all, the God who created galaxies with a word could end Satan with a whisper.
The pastor responded to the woman stating that the Bible does not shy away from this question. God speaks to it plainly and powerfully and I believe that understanding of this fact comforts our spirits. We should know that God is not threatened or pressured in any way by the presence of Satan. Searching for the answer to this question, though, reveals something about the character of God and the nature of love and of free will and the victory that has already been written long before we were even born.
The presence of Satan does not mean the absence of God’s control. In fact, our battles with Satan are actually serving a purpose and there is a small lesson here. Just like a parent who lets a child struggle through a challenge because they know it will make them stronger, God sometimes allows a season we didn’t want in order to grow a strength we didn’t know we needed. So the real issue is why doesn’t God destroy Satan right now? What is God accomplishing by allowing this enemy to remain?
This question leads us into the story that began a long time before Satan became our adversary. Lucifer began as a being whose name meant light-bearer. He didn’t begin as a monster or a villain. He was created on purpose and with breathtaking beauty. Ezekiel describes him adorned with precious stones, shimmering with glory – a guardian cherub positioned closer to the Throne of God than any other created being. Isaiah creates a picture of a heavenly leader whose role was to reflect the majesty of God almost like a mirror. Thus, if you had seen Lucifer in his original state you would have seen splendour unlike anything on earth. This is important to understand because evil did not begin with a creature that was flawed. It began with a creature who was extraordinary. In light of this, think of someone you admire very much like an athlete, a musician or some leader – someone with incredible talent. Sometimes the very gifts that elevate a person can become the very things that undo them. As some talented people rise to the top of society or an organization they begin to believe the praise heaped on them instead of the God that had gifted them. In these cases success didn’t ruin them, pride did!
This is exactly the story that scripture tells about Lucifer. He didn’t fall because God created something flawed. He fell because he stopped being what God created him to be. Lucifer’s gifts were meant to be a reflection of God’s glory, not to replace it. He was designed to shine but shine like the moon shines the sun’s light. Within this truth is a lesson for all of us – the gifts God gives us are beautiful as long as they stay surrendered. A voice becomes a blessing when it leads people to Jesus but it becomes dangerous when it leads to self-exaltation. Lucifer is the greatest example of this because he was positioned near God but he wanted to be God. He was created to worship but he wanted to be worshiped. Thus, with his change of heart, darkness began to take root where light once lived. Understanding this shift, the moment a perfect angel became the enemy of heaven, helps us to understand not only Satan’s origin but the nature of the battle we are facing today because pride didn’t just change Lucifer’s story, it reshaped the entire story of humanity. This leads us straight into the following discussion where pride, the very first sin in the universe, became the most dangerous force in the world and how it still seeks to deceive the hearts of God’s people today.
Pride says I want to rise above the position God gave me. It starts with the belief that I deserve more and I know better. Pride also looks for followers and always seeks to influence others. This explains how one angel’s pride was the spark that led to war in the very courts of God. Thus, Lucifer managed to convince one third of the angels to join him in a rebellion against the very God who created them.
Revelation tells us the outcome plainly. The rebel angels did not prevail. There’s something comforting in that. It reminds us that evil may be loud, persuasive and even popular but it will never be victorious. There’s a powerful lesson within this heavenly rebellion and that is, what influences you will eventually shape you. The voices we listen to, the attitudes we allow into our hearts can determine the direction of our lives more than we realize. That’s why scripture says, “Guard your heart with all diligence.” Influence is powerful and is why it is one of his most effective weapons today. A smooth talking influencer can tell someone exactly what they wanted to hear e.g., you’re special, you’re smarter than your teachers, you deserve better! This didn’t sound wrong but it was actually subtle manipulation using words that sound reasonable and ideas that sound noble. This is how the devil influences the world today. Lies that have a grain of truth in them ie., twisted truth.
One of the greatest misconceptions about spiritual struggles comes from Hollywood. Movies lead us to believe the battle is between two equal forces, God vs. Satan, but this isn’t biblical. Not even close! In reality, Lucifer is a dependent being who can only operate within boundaries God himself established. He is not omnipotent, he doesn’t know all things, he isn’t everywhere at once and he certainly doesn’t have unlimited power. He makes mistakes. Even in the Book of Job Satan must ask permission before touching a single hair on Job’s head. God only allowed Job to be tormented to prove to Satan Job’s loyalty to God. When Jesus walked the earth demons didn’t negotiate with Him, they begged. Evil trembles in the presence of God. Imagine a toddler trying to knock over a mountain. That’s the scale of the difference.
There is a lesson in this. Even though Satan has no power equal to God he gains influence when we overestimate him. Fear gives him leverage and our ignorance gives him opportunity; and isn’t this the world we live in today? Our media constantly broadcasts fear onto an ignorant populace.
Another revelation revealed in the Bible is that the kingdom of darkness is not chaotic or random. It is structured and organized and, understanding this structure, helps us to be wise in dealing with sin and temptation and to recognize the strategies. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6: 12 that “…we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” I believe this to mean in ‘heavenly places’ and it speaks of ranks of authority within the spiritual realm ie., a hierarchy. At the top are the fallen angels who are like generals steering cultural shifts away from God. Then there are demons, unclean spirits that operate differently. They may tempt, influence, torment or even attempt to inhabit an unspiritual body, a fearful person or an addict. The point of this is that when you understand how the enemy works spiritually, his influence loses power.
Following from this understanding, the original question arises. If Satan is limited and his forces are organized then why doesn’t God simply put an end to all of it right now? If we really want to understand this we need to look into something more profound – the very heart of God himself. Real love can only exist where free choice exists. God did not create robots. He did not create humans or angels that obey him mechanically. We have talked about this many times in our bible studies and that is that forced love isn’t love and forced obedience isn’t obedience. This freedom is what made Lucifer’s rebellion possible.
Here is what is brought to light in all of this discussion. As surprising as it sounds, even Satan’s schemes end up serving a greater purpose in God’s plan. God is so sovereign and so infinitely wise that even the enemy’s worst intentions cannot escape his purposes. The enemy strikes and God turns it into a doorway to something greater. We see this all through the Bible. There are many examples but consider Judas. Scripture tells us that Satan entered his heart and drove him to betray Jesus. To Satan it was the perfect plan ie., remove the saviour before the world could be saved. But, to God, it was the path to the cross. Without the betrayal there would be no crucifixion, without crucifixion no resurrection and without resurrection, no victory. Satan set the trap but God turned it into triumph.
The devil deceives but God teaches. Every scheme turns into something God can use for good. Romans 8: 28 is not a cliché. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” It’s a divine reversal of outcomes. The lesson is that, if God can take the worst act in human history, the crucifixion of Jesus, and turn it into the greatest victory the world has ever known, then he can certainly turn the battles in your life into something redemptive.
